Wichita eagle., 1887-12-28
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9ailY eagle
ROASTED INDIANS.
CREMATION AS PRACTICEO BY THE
THLlNkETS OF ALASKA.

Providing the Spirit with a square Meal.
A Corpse Awaiting Burial-Weird Scene
at the FuneraI-How the Cremation Is
Conducted.
Among those Indians known as the
Thlinkets, who inhabit the coast and con-
tiguous islands Of southeastern Alaska,
the practice of cremation is universal, ex-
cept in the case of shamans or medicine
men, whose spirits after death inhabit a
higher world apart from the common
herd, and slaves who are considered
scarcely worthy of this distinction.
The Thlinket believes that shortly be-
fore death the spirit Of some loved friend
gone before viii appear to him, saying:
My dear brother or good friend, you can
last but a few suns longer, and it is best
so, for life is but hard; SO be ready, for
will soon come TO lead your spirit TO a
land where ali is happiness" "
With the last breath tidingS go out to
the clan, who assemble with blackened
faces TO mourn the dead, and in former
years the nearer relatives cut off the hair.
The corpse is now dressed in the most
valued garments, the face decorated in
red and black, and placed in a sitting po-
sition, with back 10 the wall, opposite the
entrance. All the property of the de-
ceased is now brought and piled on either
hand-the Thlinket counts his wealth in
blankets, kept stored away in camphor
wood or cedar chests. Masks, rattles,
robes guns. hunting and fishing imple
ments and dancing 'paraphernalia are
placed directly around; the head is sur
mask in tOtenic design, brilliant in its in
laying Of holiotis shell and topped by u
semi transparent forest Of sea lion whisk
ers. while over the body is thrown
highly ornamental blanket, woven from
the finer fleece of the mountain goat and
worked in black, white, yellow and blue
from old pattern boards that have been
handed down through generations until
the designs have become conventional.
For three days the dead remains silent
spectator of household affairs, which have
TO 90 on much as usual as number of
families live under the same roof. Wis
itors come and go, food is prepared at the
common central fire, and children toddle
about, tumbling over the sleeping dogs;
but a general air of quiet prevails until
nightfall, when the tribe assemble with
drum, rattle and dancing sticks, and to
their measured accompaniment keep time
in monotonOus chant, eulogiZing and la
menting the dead.
The scene is weird to degree, the many
colOred blankets, the blackened faces, the
walls hung with arms and fishing imple-
ments, the curiOusly carved and colored
house posts; while festoons of dried fish
and meat depend from the roof, and all
seen through the fitful flashes of the great
cracking fire of cedar logs, over which a.
intervals oil is dashed TO redouble the
effect
For three nights this scene is repeated
but on the third day the wealth of the de-
ceased is distributed among the relatives,
each one receiving n certain portion, as
Judged by popular consent.
The funeral pyre is now erected directly
in rear of the house or on the outskirts of
the village, in proximity TO the shore.
Logs Of the fragrant yellow cedar are now
brought and laid upon each ocher, forming
n hollow parallelOgram seven feet long by
three wide AT height of from two to
three feet a flooring of logs is laid, leaving
air spaces between them, above which the
walls are continued for another foot. Be
meath the flooring and around the sides
kindling and spruce knots, saturated with
gum, are placed.
All being III readiness, on this, the
fourth, day, the class assemble, a plank
is removed from the side or end of the
house, and through this opening the dead
is carried on a mat made from the inner
bark of the red cedar, for it is a strongly
rooted superstition among these people
that should the body pass through the
doorway, that later the death spirit would
return to claim more victims. As the
body is carried ont an old woman takes
some Goals and burning fragments from
the fire and scatterS them after ii, to drive
away the spirit OF death and cleanse the
passageway, and afterward throws out
dog to accompany its master spirit to the
world beyond.
The procession now makes its way
slowly toward the place selected for Gre
nation, and when reached the body is
deposited on the raised flooring of the
pyre and a torch applied To the resinous
splinters readily iguiting the whole mass.
The women in full dancing habiliments,
consisting of blue black blanket faced
with red cloth and ornamented with hun
dreds of mother of pearl buttons. fancy
colored caps or headdresses of raven or
eagle feathers, immense earrings and nose
pendants. faces blackeued and carrying
in the right hand a long pole, the end
decorated with sprics OF evergreen and
bright streamers. form in a half circle
about the head of the pile The men.
with dancing sticks and rattles, are
grouped ON one side. The nearer rela-
tives sit about promiscuouSly. moaning
and walling. The Older men lead the
chant or dirge which is Joined in by all,
and TO its slow notes the women keep
time with the body swaying from side TO
side and bowing in unison, reminding one
of the famous sword dance of the Bedou-
inS.
Oftentimes the arms and personal be-
longiugs Of the deceased are thrown on
the fire, which, by means of dong poles,
is constantly stirred, and the chant con-
tnueS until the body is reduced TO ashes
and the logs consumed The family col
leCt any remains OF bones and the sup
posed ashes, which are carefully deposited
in small decorated boxes or trunks GOV
cred with cedar mating. corded with
spruce roots. and finally placed in dead
houses or family vaults directly in rear of
the houses
Every one now returns 70 the house. .
where a grand feast is prepared. consist F.
ing of dried salmon dipped in seal oil. her /
ring spawn, potatoes, roots. berries, edible I.
sea weed, shell fish, seal meat and tallow /.
from the TAT Of the wild goat Of the I.
mountain, Food and grease are placed in
carved piatterS and consigned to the +.
flames, 10 sustain the deceased spirit on
its weary journey. With the coming of /
night the men assemble seating them 4
selves around the fire, when the women in
fUn dancing costume iile in. forming in
continuous rank around the walls. fucinC
she audience of males, and repeat the .
swaying, bowing dance previously enacted .
nj the cremation kpeuiny time IN the